Coffee in the backyard with Bud!
Bud is doing very well! His second hoof past the laminitis hoof is nearly 3/4 grown out now. We've had a reprieve from the rain for the last couple weeks (substitute cold instead) so I've been riding on the weekends.
Part of our neighborhood tour is coming home. He finally stopped balking at the bottom of the big hill too which was very thoughtful of him.
Today, I got him out early enough to work him and then bring him home into the backyard for a rest.
He did really well here! The last time we put him in the backyard, he got so upset that we feared he might tear down the fence. He was quite calm today but still proved he can tear down the fence by grazing over it and bending it. Dear old Bud, always wanting to wreck things. That's how you know he feels right at home.
The little hill in our yard didn't slow him down at all. He walked right up it as if he were king.
He actually walked around it several times stopping once to play with the swing on the way by.
Nothing like a horse in the backyard to get all the neighbors out to visit. The girls next door all came over to meet him on the road and the lady behind us (who I never even knew had a horse) came to comment about how she always wanted to bring her horse home too but was certain it would destroy her whole yard. Bud is very friendly with everyone and stands quietly around children which always impresses me no matter how many times he does it.
All in all, Bud is really coming along quickly. He's calmed down a lot while on the roads and the trail and very rarely spooks at anything anymore. The balking is down to a minimum as well. It's wonderful to do more riding than training these days. Every ride is better than the one before it and his personality is starting to burst through on the trail as he has started to enjoy himself. He has actually gotten so happy that he's broke into a canter (which is HUGE considering the laminitis and the fact that I haven't been able to get him to canter with me on him since he was 3,) I was thrilled for that accomplishment. The freezing temps have kept many people who are usually down at the creek (where we used to take Samuel often to play) away and in riding down there last weekend, I decided it was a wonderful place to work on reining. There are tons of trees and tables to work around as well as some good inclines to work his butt muscles. The sound of the rushing water is a nice backdrop and if that isn't enough, there's the highway noise from the bridge too. There is a lot going on there but he was able to relax quickly and even surprise me with the canter which was just a bonus. He still refuses to get closer than about 20 feet to the rushing creek but we're working on it. Apparently it's still VERY scary! But when compared to the many other fears he has quickly overcome, I'm not worried about it. He'll figure it out. His curiosity bump will eventually get the better of him and he'll have to stick his nose in it and see if he can find something to destroy.
I see many more "coffees with Bud" in the future!
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